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Many iPhone 3GS owners are complaining about their handset’s battery life falling short of expectations. Their units are likely defective, because Wired.com was not able to replicate the issue through rigorous battery testing.

In response to a query about the iPhone 3GS’ battery life, 25 readers e-mailed Wired.com citing issues with battery life, and 11 expressed the same complaint to @Wired via Twitter. The majority said their iPhone 3GS’ battery was depleting quickly even after light usage.

“Today, I took it off charge when I woke up (having charged it throughout the night) got ready for work and left my house at about 8 a.m.,” iPhone 3GS owner Mark Bone wrote to Wired.com. “I got to the train station and sent one text. On the train I played Mafia Wars for about a half hour…. By 12 o’clock I had 48 percent battery life.”

Consumers have been venting about the iPhone’s battery life ever since the release of the second-generation iPhone 3G. However, testing by PC World revealed that the iPhone 3G had longer battery life than competing 3G smartphones, including the Samsung Instinct and the Palm Centro.

Wired.com conducted a battery test comparing the iPhone 3GS with the iPhone 3G, and the former came out hours ahead. Running one of the world’s worst music videos on loop at maximum volume with push-notifications turned on, Wi-Fi turned off and earbuds plugged in, the iPhone 3GS lasted five hours and 47 minutes.

With the same settings, a one-year-old iPhone 3G ran out of juice after three hours and 48 minutes. We also ran the test on a seven-month old iPhone 3G, which shut off after four hours and 19 minutes. That’s consistent with reports that the iPhone’s non-user-replaceable batteries — like most rechargeable batteries — lose capacity with age and use.

Turning push notifications off only extended battery life by 15 to 20 minutes. Running the same test with push turned off, the iPhone 3GS died after six hours and 3 minutes; the one-year-old iPhone 3G lasted four hours and 2 minutes.

We acknowledge that the iPhone 3G being a year old likely means shorter battery life — but not by much, considering a seven-month-old iPhone 3G stayed live only about 30 minutes longer. More notable is that our iPhone 3GS did not deplete as quickly as we expected, based on readers’ complaints. Also, with normal usage our iPhone 3GS has been able to run two days before requiring a charge. (The one-year-old iPhone 3G has generally needed a recharge every day or day and a half.)

But clearly, if so many customers are complaining, there must be a problem with some iPhone 3GS batteries. Our testing leads us to suspect their units are defective. If iPhone 3GS owners are experiencing surprisingly meager battery life, they should schedule an appointment at an Apple Store Genius Bar to request an exchange.

Apple has not acknowledged issues with the iPhone 3GS’s battery. The company did not respond to requests for comment on this story.

These are only initial battery tests, with an admittedly small sample size. We’re open to experimenting with other methods to run down the iPhone 3GS’s battery. (We’ll also consider purchasing a brand new iPhone 3G for testing if readers demand it.) Add your suggestions in the comment section below.

See Also:

• IPhone 3GS Handsets Overheat, Turn Brown
• Battery Issues Likely Cause of iPhone 3GS Overheating
• IPhone 3G Battery Life Bad, Still Better Than Other 3G Smartphones
• Review: iPhone 3G Trades Battery Life for Interface, Software

Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com

Over the holiday weekend, iPhone hacker George Hotz released a jailbreak solution for the iPhone 3GS. (To clarify: jailbreaking is not the same as unlocking, but rather a hack to allow you to run unauthorized applications. Jailbreaking, however, is required in order to perform an unlock.) The Dev-Team Blog, who regularly posts iPhone hacks and unlock tutorials, has taken the extra step and published a video demonstrating its unlock solution for the iPhone 3GS. Check it out above.

The unlock tool kit is dubbed ultrasn0w, the same program used to unlock the iPhone 3G. One warning: If you somehow obtain an early copy of iPhone 3.1, an upcoming software update for the iPhone OS, do not install it because it will kill the unlock.

Like pictures and words? iClarified has posted step-by-step tutorials with plenty of screenshots to guide you through the process. What are you waiting for? Hack away!

Via Dev-Team Blog

See Also:

• Geohot Sneaks Out iPhone 3GS Jailbreak Early
• iPhone 3GS Jailbreak Delayed
• How to Run a Scam, Jailbreak an iPhone 3G, Remove a Fishhook
• ZiPhone Is Easiest iPhone Jailbreak Yet
• How to Take Your iPhone Overseas
• IPhone 3G Software Already Unlocked
• Apple’s Not ‘Bricking’ Hacked IPhones for Revenge
• Hackers Successfully Unlock the iPhone 3G

Look, it’s not like Apple’s iPhone 3GS is really equipped with the necessary hardware to shoot your next feature film, but given the high-profile nature of the device, it’s no surprise to see a veritable cornucopia of video mounts making their way onto the scene. Just weeks after a completely over-the-top shoulder mount emerged, we’ve now got a pair of handheld grips ready for the amateur crowd. Both Zacuto’s ZGrip iPhone Pro and OWLE’s BUBO are designed to steady one’s shot when capturing clips with Apple’s freshest handset, though we tend to prefer the dual grip design of the latter. Hit the read links below for more information on each, and jump past the break if you’re looking for samples to absorb before you buy. Oh, and yes — both are guaranteed to draw unwanted stares and cause intense embarrassment when used.

Read – Zacuto’s ZGrip iPhone Pro [Via TUAW]
Read – OWLE BUBO [Via iClarified]

Continue reading Apple’s iPhone 3GS gets two more handheld video mounts

Filed under: Cellphones, Peripherals

Apple’s iPhone 3GS gets two more handheld video mounts originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Jul 2009 05:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A small number of iPhone 3GS owners have reported browning of their handsets presumably due to overheating. However, a report suggests the problem is tied to third-party cases.

iPhone blog FrenchiPhone cites an Apple technician who laid blame at the covers of some iPhone 3GS units.

“After numerous calls to Apple technical service and maintenance of contact with a level 3 (engineer) the problem seems to come not from a hot 3GS but contact with some covers!” FrenchiPhone reports. “This was evident by ourselves on a device with a small sticker (a warning not to listen to music too loud) remained stuck, part of the hull below remained white.”

According to FrenchiPhone, the discoloration can be resolved by wiping the back of the iPhone with alcohol.

Last week, Aaron Vronko of Rapid Repair, which performs teardowns of iPhones and iPods, told Wired.com that discoloration is likely due to overheating — an issue related to faulty battery cells. He noted that the browning reveals the outline of the battery. FrenchiPhone’s report suggests the discoloration is not due to high temperature of the iPhone. But there is still a possibility that some iPhones are overheating and the browning is a symptom only for hot iPhones with certain cases.

If FrenchiPhone’s source is accurate, it still remains unclear which iPhone cases are affected and how they can be identified. Apple has not issued an official statement regarding iPhone discoloration or overheating.

Several customers insist there’s an issue with the iPhone 3GS’s heat. Eleven readers e-mailed Wired.com reporting their iPhones are reaching oddly high temperatures.

“Whenever I browse internet using 3G the phone starts to get hotter and hotter to the point of being uncomfortable holding it,” said Jesus Arenas, who recently upgraded from an iPhone 3G to the new iPhone 3GS.

Arenas and several other readers noted, however, that the new iPhone 3.0 operating system seems to make even the previous iPhone 3G run hotter than it did on the earlier iPhone 2.0 OS. That would suggest the issue is with power management, which can be fixed with a software update.

We’re continuing to investigate consumer reports regarding the iPhone 3GS battery. Have a story to share? Send an e-mail to Brian_Chen [at] Wired [dot] com.

See Also:

• IPhone 3GS Handsets Overheat, Turn Brown
• Gallery: iPhone 3GS Teardowns Reveal Underclocked CPU, More …
• T-Mobile Accidentally Posts Secret iPhone 3G S Specs
• iPhone 3GS Picks Up the Pace With New Features – Video – Wired
• Review: The iPhone 3GS By Steven Levy
• iPhone 3GS Trounces Predecessors, Rivals in Web Browser Speed Test

Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com

Don’t worry, everybody, your iPhone baking itself to a crisp is no cause for panic, now that Apple has found the culprit: the weather and your heartless negligence. Apparently you’ve been leaving your brand new iPhone 3GS in a hot car, and the warm sensation you feel any time you hold the phone has nothing to do with beefed up processors or inadequate cooling. Phew, glad that’s all sorted and now nobody will have any problems with self-destructive iPhones they paid hundreds of dollars for. Besides, it serves you right.

Meanwhile, hapless Samsas Traum has found a problem of his own (pictured) that’s sure to be blamed on some other act of god in the near future by Apple’s spin team: the oleophobic coating is getting rubbed right off his screen. Apparently he has a bit of a fondness for a certain “Flick Fishing” app, which explains the highly localized nature of his oleophobic destruction. We haven’t heard many other reports of a similar nature, but we’ll keep an eye out for telltale Tap Tap Revenge markings on the iPhones of our rhythm-addled loved ones.

[Thanks, Rafa]

Read – Apple blames overheating iPhones on the weather
Read – Oleophobic coating wearing off fast

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

Apple blames hot iPhones on the weather, others find oleophobic screen to be fleeting? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 04 Jul 2009 22:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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